Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
admitted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
all
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From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
angels
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
anguished
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From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
assented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
audience
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
Autocrat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
away
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From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
believes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
clasped
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From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
crowd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
education
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
Emperor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
enthroned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
faith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
fancy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
footstool
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
heart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
heaviness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
holding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
knelt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
lack
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
lean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
lovely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
namely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
now-a-days
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
oppressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
petition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
piteous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
religious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
reminded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
represented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
sigh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
starving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
symbol
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
tableau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'The Autocrat,' was the next tableau, and represented an Emperor enthroned.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
True
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "True!"
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At his footstool knelt a piteous crowd of the starving and oppressed, holding up their lean hands to him, clasped in anguished petition, but he looked away from them as though he saw them not.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
wasted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
Why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
words
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading I assented; yet there was a heaviness at my heart, for her words reminded me of what I would rather have forgotten,--namely her own admitted lack of all religious faith.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why do you sigh?" she said--"It is a lovely fancy,--but the symbol is wasted in the present audience,--no one with education believes in angels now-a-days."
